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Now that the satellite program has came and gone, did anyone see it? What are the impressions that it left? I didn't see the program. One ADPA state coordinator told me of a case of a major hospital in her area trying to get authorization to host local support groups and neurologists. The New York APDA told them that a fee had to be paid first in order for them to participate. When APDA was told that would be no problem, APDA said that the sites had already been selected(What criteria?). Only a select few sites that are in the "Who's Who of PD" got a ride on this train. Look at the list and associate the medical powers that be that practice in those cities. The New York APDA has a videotape of the satellitecast to sell to those who missed the program. Sandoz Pharmaceutical, makers of Eldepryl was one of the commercial sponsors. This is the drug that was to slow the progression of PD but the Algorithm says, "If selegiline is later shown not to have a neuroprotective effect, little harm will have been done." What about the costs of the medicine and the side effects if it won't do what the marketing department, touts? APDA, without the wisdom of leaders that are not there now, is a rudder-less ship, going into the PD Consensus Conference. In retrospect, the folks who would benefit most from the APDA program were left in the dark and frozen out of the decision making process. Many state organizations would have loved for 100,000 of us to have seen the program and spread the invigoration, but were rebuffed in the end. Keep working with your state groups, their's is truly a labor of love, and help them succeed even though the national office is doing counter- productive things. John Cottingham [log in to unmask] OR [log in to unmask]